1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable telephone equipment, and in particular to portable telephone equipment controlled by an earphone having a microphone and a control method for the portable telephone device using a remote control unit provided in the earphone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an increasing number of people have possessed a portable telephone such as a cellular phone or a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) set and have used an earphone or headphones to talk. Especially, a PHS telephone is supplied to each person in a company and is used with an earphone to talk while each user working.
On the other hand, there have been proposed several kinds of portable telephone device having audio equipment therein. For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-23115 discloses a portable telephone having headphone-stereo equipment included therein. The portable telephone is provided with a headphone jack which is connected to a plug of the headphones having a remote control unit and a microphone. The telephone is designed such that a user can quickly respond to an incoming call using the remote control unit when playing the headphone stereo and can start conversation using the headphones and the microphone.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-91584 discloses an earphone having a remote control unit which is provided with a microphone for telephone transmitter. The earphone is designed to enhance the operability of a portable combination telephone/audio device.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-74580 discloses a portable combination audio/pager device which can easily inform its user of the occurrence of an incoming call. More specifically, the portable combination audio/pager device is connected to earphones through a remote control unit having a display. When receiving a paging signal, the message of the paging signal is displayed on the display of the remote control unit.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-84403 discloses a portable combination audio/telephone device which is provided with a remote control unit having an earphone speaker which is used for both audio output and telephone transmitter.
The conventional portable telephones an described above allow easy operation for incoming call. However, when the user wants to make a call, it is necessary to take the portable telephone in his/her hand to check the calling telephone number displayed on LCD. In some cases, he/she must take out the portable telephone from his/her bag before calling operation. This is a disadvantage of the conventional potable telephone.
An object of the present invention is to provide a portable telephone device which allows easy check of a destination number when calling and easy check of a source number when called.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination of a portable telephone and an audio device which allows easy check of a destination number when calling and easy check of a source number when called.
According to the present invention, a portable telephone has an external accessory electrically connected thereto by a detachable connector. The external accessory comprises: a microphone; at least one speaker: a display: and a remote control switch. The portable telephone comprises a telephone controller controlling wireless telephone communication, wherein the telephone controller performs a calling operation depending on an operation of the remote control switch such that a destination phone number is displayed for check on the display before dialed.
The telephone controller preferably has a speech recognition mode for recognizing a string of voice signals inputted through the microphone of the external accessory to produce the destination phone number.
The telephone controller may change into the speech recognition mode depending on an operation of the remote control switch. The telephone controller may start the destination, phone number dialing by voice input in the speech recognition mode.
Preferably, the destination phone number displayed on the display is deleted in digits by operating the remote control switch and is corrected by the voice input.
The destination phone number may be inputted in digits by the voice input. Alternatively, the destination phone number may be obtained by searching a table for a voice-input name, the table containing previously registered names and corresponding phone numbers.
The external accessory may be a set of headphones having a structure that two headphone speakers are connected to a remote control unit having the display and the remote control switch therein, the remote control unit having a jack plug connected thereto, wherein a predetermined one of the two headphone speakers serves as the microphone.
According to the present invention, in a combination of a portable telephone and a portable audio device connected to an earphone set.
the earphone set comprises: a microphone; at least one speaker; a display; and a remote control switch,
the portable audio device comprising a first connector for the earphone set: a second connector for the portable telephone; and a controller controlling such that a control signal and a display signal are transferred between the earphone set and the portable telephone depending on control of the portable telephone, and
the portable telephone comprising a telephone controller controlling wireless telephone communication, wherein the telephone controller performs a calling operation depending on an operation of the remote control switch such that a destination phone number is displayed for check on the display before dialed.
As described above, according to the present Invention, since the destination phone number is displayed on the display of the external accessory, the user can easily check the destination phone number before calling without taking the portable telephone out.